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Why we love it: A quirky stay full of historic details, local art, and top-notch cocktails

Highlights:
- A collection of local art that’s all for sale
- An on-site lounge with creative cocktails by Donald Murray
- Fun amenities like record players for checkout and a curated vinyl library

The Review:
No property captures Tucson’s funky, laid-back vibe better than this hotel on historic Stone Avenue, right on the edge of the Barrio Viejo in the artsy Armory Park neighborhood. Set around a central courtyard strung with Edison bulbs, the Downtown Clifton keeps it real with local art, vintage furnishings, and mid-century modern curios. The hotel was built in 1948 but found new life in 2014 after undergoing a $4.5 million upgrade. The 10 bunkhouse rooms now include original wood-beam ceilings, saddle blanket bedspreads, polished concrete floors, and 1940s tilework in the bathrooms, all paired with modern touches like 42-inch smart TVs. For a little something extra, book one of the señorita rooms, which up the ante with exposed brick walls, floor-to-ceiling windows, hand-painted bedframes and vanities, spacious seating areas, and, in numbers 29 and 30, spectacular views of the mountains.

The hotel’s expansion also added the Red Light Lounge, where mixologist Donald Murray, formerly of Tuscon favorite the Dusty Monk, holds sway. Expect unusual offerings like a margarita made from Bacanora (agave-derived liquor) and The Inglaterra, featuring tequila and Pimm’s. The bar also serves innovative Tucson cuisine like chorizo fry bread topped with queso asadero, spicy greens, pickled hibiscus onions, cilantro-lime aioli, and a sunny-side-up egg. Should you wish to cook your own grub, make use of the on-site grills and then dine in the outdoor seating areas.

Designed by Fuster + Architects, an award winning firm located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, El Blok takes its visual cues from the surrounding light, land and sea. In addition to being a playful structure, it is highly functional and built to withstand storms and hurricanes (a big plus anywhere in the caribbean!). It is located at the beach, at the start of Esperanza’s sleepy malecon, with its low-key seaside huddle of restaurants, bars, and stores, most of them back open after hurricane Maria’s devastating sweep of the island.

I loved my room, one of the spacious corner suites. The way the space captured the light was uncanny, every time I got back to my room, a new play of light beams and shadows was waiting for me. The restaurant downstairs serves up amazing food, hands down the best I had on island. Executive Chef, Carlos Perez. brings to the table a delicious, fresh take on Puerto Rican cuisine, centered around their bayahonda mesquite fired grill and Rotisol rotisserie. Just don’t expect much of a breakfast at the hotel. I took a short walk each morning to some cafés nearby, to grab a coffee and omelet. El Blok’s rooftop bar was ‘the’ place to hang in the evenings with locals and travelers alike, while listening to amazing music. When we were there, the duo Más Que Dos was playing and it made for an all around perfect sunset.

El Blok currently has 22 rooms and is adding another 11, slated to open in summer 2019. We were warned about construction noise between 8am and 2pm, but I can honestly say it didn’t interfere at all with my stay. It’s of course when you’re supposed to be out and about anyways, exploring the island!

Rates start at $140 per night plus tax.

A heartfelt thank you to Discover Puerto Rico (@DiscoverPuertoRico) for 3 days in beautiful Vieques and a fun stop-over in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

A four-kilometer seaside promenade is the perfect place for a stroll at Scheveningen, a beach resort in Den Haag’s wealthy northernmost district. In addition to a sandy beach, colorful esplanade, pier and the Scheveningen lighthouse, there’s a Sea Life aquarium, Pathé cinema, the Steigenberger Kurhaus music theater, Scheveningen Museum and a casino. Trendy clubs, restaurants, surf schools and other water sports options line the wide Noorderstrand (North Beach) boulevard. After a three-year metamorphoses completed in 2013, the beach-side stretch offers the best of sun, sand and surf on Holland’s western coastline. Giant sculptures by the sea add a whimsical touch, while numerous bars and eating establishments provide spots to grab a drink or a meal while watching the action in the harbor.

Fifteen minutes south of the Puntacana Resort & Club, Eden Roc at Cap Cana is the most exclusive of the six hotels in the gated Cap Cana Reserve. At this Relais & Châteaux property, guests have their choice of beachfront suites with kitchens; stand-alone suites with private pools, gardens, and verandas; and oceanfront villas that come with butler service. Whichever you pick, you’ll also have access to an oceanfront infinity pool, a 30,000-square-foot spa and wellness center, and a private, Blue Flag–certified beach. There’s even a kids’ club in a lagoon-side treehouse for when adults need some alone time.

When hunger strikes, head to La Palapa for seafood and Caribbean fare, or Blue Grill Bar + Restaurant for Nikkei and robatayaki cuisine. Should you want to venture off-property, know that Cap Cana is home to an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus signature golf course. Bespoke helicopter outings, visits to the Punta Espada equestrian ranch, and days at Scape Park (a natural theme park with attractions like zip-lining and cave expeditions) can also be arranged.

Belly up to this Wailea bar, which dazzles with a display of blue-glass Japanese fishing floats, for Hawaii’s best mai tai. Here, chef Peter Merriman, a pioneer of Hawaii Regional Cuisine, brings his genius to the classic cocktail, adding a thick head of honey-lilikoi (passion fruit) foam. Be sure to also score a table for later, as Monkeypod Kitchen does double duty as one of Maui’s top restaurants. Menu standouts include such seasonal dishes as kiawe-roasted squash ravioli, coconut-corn chowder, Hamakua wild mushroom pizza drizzled with truffle oil, and bulgogi pork tacos with Asian pear and house-made kimchi.

Located on North Buffalo’s Hertel Avenue, MiMo Decor highlights mid-century, modernist, and contemporary design. Rated the best place in the city to find vintage furniture by local lifestyle magazine Buffalo Spree, the shop offers a range of upscale pieces, from bar cabinets to dresser sets. Father-daughter duo Joe and Jessica Buscaglia run the store, with Joe working to restore American and Scandinavian furniture and Jessica in charge of retail and design services. Visitors here can expect a showroom of unique items, plus a range of services, from rehabs and total rebuilds to in-home consultations, staging and furniture rental, upholstering, and more.

With its exposed brick walls, small tables, and inventive Japanese fare, this Elmwood Village sushi spot is a restaurant you’d expect to find in Brooklyn rather than Buffalo. Still, chef Kuni Sato has run the local favorite since 1996, serving everything from traditional sushi and sashimi to daily specials with a modern twist. Don’t miss the Kuni’s Fried Chicken (chicken breast marinated in ginger and soy sauce, then deep-fried until perfectly crispy) or the impressive sake collection, imported directly from Japan. Guests can either grab a table, eat at the sushi counter, or belly up to the bar, but act fast when space opens up because this place is typically packed.

This 1937 diner car was disassembled, moved to its current location in the heart of Larkin Square, and fully restored before opening in 2017. Today, it looks just as it did 80 years ago—from the mahogany trim and barrel-vaulted ceiling to the original bar stools and glass-topped counter—with an appropriately nostalgic menu to match. Open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Swan Street serves simple breakfast and lunch fare. Head over in the morning for the breakfast poutine with home fries, cheese curd, sausage gravy, and over-easy eggs, or stop by at lunch for a burger or classic tuna melt.

The Glenn Miller Orchestra introduced America to the Chattanooga Choo Choo and Track 29 in the 1940s, but the train and its home at Terminal Station date all the way back to 1909. In 1973, the original Pullman train cars were converted into luxury hotel rooms, transporting guests to a past era of travel—albeit with modern amenities like high-speed internet, refrigerators, and coffeemakers. Spend the night at the hotel, or simply explore the former terminal complex, which now features multiple restaurants, bars, retail outlets, a comedy club, and a beautiful rose garden. At Gate 11 Distillery, you can even sample artisanal spirits straight up or in carefully crafted cocktails.

Set a bit back from the Palm Beach area, Local Store offers a fantastic craft-beer selection in a casual atmosphere with a neighborhood vibe. Sit at the bar and you may actually meet some locals while you wash down your choice of 15 types of chicken wings with one of the 40 beer selections. Also worth trying are the burgers and wraps, served basket-style with fries, homemade chips, or funchi fries (fried polenta topped with melted gouda cheese and served with Sriracha mayo). There’s breakfast service on Saturdays and Sundays as well, during which you can treat yourself to homemade donut holes or the s’mores waffle tower, made with graham-cracker waffles, marshmallow, and chocolate sauce.

A stalwart on the “best of” lists, this restaurant blends dynamic global cuisine with comfort food… set against a steampunky-sports bar décor. None of this should work, but it very much does. The industrial touches evoke the city’s heritage as a Western working town, as well as its iconic grunge epoch that swept the globe. (The bottle-cap portrait of local legend Jimi Hendrix is especially endearing.) Don’t miss the chicken khao soi, foraged-mushroom pizza with taleggio, or the sublime Vadouvan-spiced carrots with thin curls of feta smoked in-house. The restaurant’s connected to the Kimpton Hotel Monaco and also delivers a mean breakfast, from malted waffles to duck confit hash with cippolini and dried cherries.

Near the Dominican Republic’s northwestern border with Haiti, the city of Montecristo, and El Morro National Park, this 12-room lodge makes a great base for exploring subtropical forestland and boating through mangroves. Warm woods, neutral tones, and black-and-white photos decorate the lovely understated guestrooms, while comfy loungers and lush greenery surround the bean-shaped pool. Spend your days bird-watching in the national park, deep-sea fishing, kayaking, or snorkeling off the cactus-covered Seven Brothers Island, then head back to the hotel for traditional Dominican dishes at El Morro, wood-fired pizzas at Restaurant Bubí, or drinks at the lobby bar.

“The menu at this authentic Japanese restaurant changes constantly. This place is legit authentic Japanese, they even make you take off your shoes and wear their slippers … Men have to wear a button-down collared shirt, so be ready. You can order from their menu a la carte, but the thing to do is make reservations and get their tasting menu. This is what we do every time and it never disappoints. The tasting menu is about seven to eight dishes depending on what the chef decides to send. The meal is unforgettable. In signature Japanese style, the dishes are small, but compact with tons of awesome flavors.” —Kevin Diedrich, a bar manager and consultant who grew up in Northern Virginia.

Luxury and personalized service are the hallmarks of this InterContinental set in an 18th-century historic building on Bordeaux’s impressive main square. With sumptuous decor that recalls the gracious mansions of yore, plus two Gordon Ramsay restaurants, one of Bordeaux’s loveliest lounges, a rooftop bar with stellar views, and a spa with a pool, sauna, hammam, and fitness room, the hotel really does have it all. Staying here, guests are based in the very heart of Bordeaux, just minutes from the old opera house as well as top dining, nightlife, shopping, and sightseeing—that is, if they can pry themselves away from the hotel.

Housed in a building that looks like a giant, shimmering wine decanter, La Cité du Vin is the world’s first high-tech, interactive wine museum. Experts from more than 40 different countries weighed in on the exhibitions here, which cover everything from the history, cultivation, production, and trade of wine to grape varieties, contemporary trends, and climate change. After touring the 32,000-square-foot space, visitors can enjoy a free glass of wine (or grape juice for children), then stock up on bottles at the boutique, dine at one of the on-site restaurants, or test their new knowledge at the rooftop bar, which features spectacular views of the city.